As separate entities, Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck were acting stalwarts who headlined films and gave us superb performances in films like The Big Sleep and Double Indemnity, respectively. Bring them together in a thriller and it’s almost impossible for the sum to measure up to the two parts. The Two Mrs. Carrolls takes Bogart’s typically stoic persona and adds a tinge of artistic insanity as Stanwyck does away with her strong female independence in favor of subservience and eventually mania. It’s an old-fashioned thriller that never strays from basic formula but also never offers up any genuine surprises (at least not anymore, now that the thriller genre has been cluttered by thousands of films with the same twist).
Bogart plays the private artist Geoffrey Carroll who has recently taken on a commission of painting a portrait of the young and flirtatious Cecily (Alexis Smith) at the behest of his second wife Sally (Stanwyck), who is currently fighting a mysterious illness. As the character of Geoffrey is revealed, we learn that his female portraiture subjects become his muses – and potentially his wives. The film progresses and Geoffrey’s infatuation with Cecily increases as Sally’s illness keeps her chronically weak and out of the picture. Eventually pieces start falling into place, courtesy of the precocious daughter (Ann Carter) and Sally realizes that her place in the Carroll household might be in jeopardy and that the first Mrs. Carroll may have experienced a similar situation.
DVD Bonus Features
It’s a made-to-order DVD from the WB Online Shop, so there are no extras besides a trailer for the film.
"The Two Mrs. Carrolls" is on sale March 1, 2011 and is not rated. Drama, Thriller. Directed by Peter Godfrey. Written by Thomas Job (screenplay), Martin Vale (play). Starring Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Alexis Smith, Ann Carter.
